


Criticize

by Queens31298



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Romance, Teasing, Work Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29884533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queens31298/pseuds/Queens31298
Summary: It's one thing after the other with Yami Sukehiro and Charlotte Roeselie. One night, Charlotte doesn't remember if anything happened between them and is later on forced into a corner by the very man she's in love with. Why was god so cruel?
Relationships: Charlotte Roselei/Yami Sukehiro
Kudos: 40





	Criticize

All of the captains knew what was going on, including the Wizard King Julius. They were all aware and the only two who hadn’t noticed a single moment were Yami Sukehiro and Charlotte Roselie. They were always arguing, fighting, and getting at each other’s throats and bickering like children. At first, the captains thought it was comical and got a kick out of their ridiculous behavior. Even the smiles were evident on their faces, though they probably wouldn’t have cared either way. Things were kept simple. Yami was always throwing lude comments to Charlotte whose face instantly went red. Most of the time, he got a laugh. However, Charlotte had the same wit about her and put that brute in his place. 

It went on like that for a month. No one mentioned anything. Not much work got done due to their sudden profound antics, but it was a bit refreshing. At least, for Charlotte. Things were pretty normal until they held another meeting. Yami had taken the teasing and the jokes a bit too far. That same afternoon Charlotte left the meeting early with this angry look glowing in her eyes. Yami felt their gazes and shrunk in his seat, but at the same time, he was exhausted from having meeting after meeting. He left as well. He lit a cigarette and most of the time he felt grateful for the stretch of release, but it tasted like shit. 

He kept it longer than he wanted. In the end, he flicked the white paper stick on the ground and went on his way. 

From then on, there was a bit of tension in the air. 

The bickering stopped. Slightly. It was more like the two were avoiding each other, avoiding contact, avoiding anything that had everything to do with each other. Still, none of the other captains approached them, afraid they’d worsen the situation. Now, most of their meetings went on quietly. Yami kept to himself, mouth shut unless spoken to. Charlotte didn’t pay much attention either. Things seemed to be going smoothly after that disastrous meeting. Despite that, things actually did get worse. Yami was one thing with either showing up late to meetings or disappearing. It was another when Charlotte herself was falling behind. 

It happened after the blowout. Charlotte was falling behind on her work as a captain and falling behind on her squad. The stress of the matter sitting heavy on her mind, which cost her. She stayed up late trying to finish work and calculate a schedule for his squad, but it was draining her life cycle. She’s been exhausted, hiding the bags under her eyes with more makeup, even leaving her helmet on for longer periods of time. 

Honestly, things have become a mess. 

As for Yami, he was smoking more recently. He even went through a pack or two a day, stayed out late and drank more while trying to keep his thoughts at bay. On occasion, Fuegoleon and Jack would accompany him. He preferred to be alone and tonight was where he felt the most alone with at least four empty beer mugs. He bit his lip, tilting his head into his palm, annoyed more than anything. He lit another cigarette tasting the fumes and realized it was the last one. He hadn’t time to think for himself, actually, he wasn’t doing much of that either. He hadn’t even been around his squad and when he was most of them knew something was wrong, yet never asked anything. They didn’t want to be reprimanded for being worried. 

The main issue was Charlotte Roselie. 

Just the thought of her name made his brow twitch in irritation. She always found a way to get under his skin and forced him to retaliate. Most of the reactions he received from her were a flushed face or as of now would tease him right back. It was then he decided to make a game out of it and she played along well. He clenched his hand on the handle of the mug, not realizing the amount of pressure he used, and cracked the glass. He frowned. He’d have to pay for that, though the majority of his coin went to this shit hole.

Yami wasn’t stupid. He felt the tension between them. It was dangerous. If he opened his mouth to apologize he had a feeling she would just ignore him. He sighed in frustration, tapping his finger on the table as he tried to think.

“This is bad.” He mumbled to himself as he placed a hand over his face. 

“So what are you going to do?” A sudden voice said. He looked up to see Julius sitting across from him with an eager smile. 

Something about that smile didn’t sit right with him. 

“When did you get here?” 

“I’ve been here the entire time.” Yami’s eyes widened in shock. He was too far in his thoughts to be aware of his surroundings.

“Looks like you were really thinking of something.” 

“Not really.” He looked away like some child. 

“I hope you plan on atoning for your sin, Yami.” Julius said with a wicked look on his face. He swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“Yeah?”

Why did he suddenly feel a bit on edge?

“What do you think of Charlotte?” The look on Julius’s face softened as he really looked at Yami. He blinked in confusion. 

“She needs to loosen up a bit more.” He simply answered. Julius almost chuckled. “However, she’s a great captain and I respect her.” 

“Such a simpleton.” Yami raised a brow. “What do you feel when you see her?” He frowned. Just where in the hell was he going with this? He figured he might as well play along. 

“She frustrates me.” That was only half true. He was still trying to understand the why. 

“How so?” That smile never left his face. It was unnerving. He knew how to push his buttons. 

“What does it matter?” This seemed to pique Julius’s interest. He leaned in close for a moment. 

“What I’m saying is that no one teases Charlotte as much as you do and enjoys it. There always seems to be a smile on your face.” That was all he said to his protege before he walked away.

He never thought about it like that. If Julius knew this much he wondered if the rest of the captains did. Apparently, it was obvious from the start. They enjoyed the show. He was going to kill each one of them. 

*

There was still a lot of work to be done. Yami was normally the last one to arrive at these meetings, yet this time he was the first one to show up, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. Unlit, of course. It was a bit of a nervous tick, something to keep his mouth shut. Within the next few minutes, the rest of the captains started to enter, each of them giving Yami a look knowing he shouldn’t have been the first one to arrive. The last one to come in was Charlotte. She was aware they were all there, despite being on time. She took her seat. 

In the past, Yami was given the cold shoulder. It wasn’t this bad before. Back then, it only lasted a few hours. Now, it’s been lasting for about a month. Had things really gone that badly? Why was it bothering him now of all times? He knew Charlotte wasn’t a fan of men, despised most of them, which he thought was some utter bullshit. She’d never get a lover with that icy attitude. At this point, he wasn’t even listening to Julius or the other captains. His gaze was solely on the ice queen, finger tapping on the table. Nozel and Fuegoleon noticed. They didn’t say anything until one of them sighed very heavily. 

Yami couldn’t catch a break. 

Neither did the others. It was beginning to become a headache. 

“I’ll be the one to address this matter.” Nozel said with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he glared at Yami and Charlotte. “If you two don’t figure out your shit I suggest you leave this meeting.” 

“You wanna’ run that by me again?” Yami felt his brow twitch. 

“The last few weeks you two haven’t stopped bickering. You’re acting like children. Start acting like adults.” Charlotte glanced his way. “It’s exhausting.” 

“I think you’re being a bit too harsh.” Fuegoleon sheepishly interjected as if he was trying to diffuse the situation. 

He made it worse. 

“How long do you four plan on interrupting this meeting?” Julius steadily said with a mischievous glint hiding behind his eyes. “I must admit, there has been a wave of tension in the last few meetings. I’m sure Yami and Charlotte have their reasons for this misfortune.”

“I’d like to add just one more thing.” Nozel crossed his arms over his chest. Yami raised a brow in question. “Clearly, there’s something bothering the two of you and you both are clueless about it.” 

Nozel mainly focused on Yami, making sure he understood his point. He refrained from making any comment and had an idea of what he was talking about. He really wanted to be wrong about that feeling, but the more he thought about it the more he was starting to believe in it. This time he lit his cigarette to release the stress and walked away from the meeting. They didn’t say a word. They looked over to Charlotte whose fist was clenched in anger. She only kept her cold stare on the braided captain. 

“Can we just carry on with the meeting?” Charlotte said through clenched teeth. 

“As much as I’d like to finish this, it’s best to adjourn for the day.” Julius said with an apologetic look on his face. “Though, Charlotte, I would like to have a word with you.” 

She sighed in place. She knew what it was about. Everyone seemed to know what it was about except them. Part of her liked the fact she could keep up with that brute and his ridiculous antics. She never once ran away until that last disastrous meeting. She wanted to strangle him for forcing that image in her head. What aggravated her the most was that she let it get to her and caused this unsettling tension. 

Yami Sukehiro was going to be the death of her. 

The other part of Charlotte was controlled by fear, afraid of rejection. Recently, she’s beginning to have some doubts. Those unwanted emotions started disappearing. She was confused more than anything and after what Nozel mentioned it couldn’t be true, right? Did Yami really bear some sort of feelings toward her? It wasn’t possible. She couldn’t lie to herself, but it made her feel warm. 

“I apologize for the last few weeks.” She couldn’t meet his eyes. He waved his hand as if telling her not to worry over it. 

“This might seem like I’m pressuring you and I assure I am not, but what exactly do you think of Yami?” She tensed and sat quietly for a moment. 

Charlotte couldn’t lie to herself anymore. Even if she wanted to keep her feelings a secret, it appeared all the captains caught on. They were never asked. She was glad they hadn’t, though she’d just deny it. 

She could at least admit it to Julius. 

“Honestly, he’s uncouth, reckless and a lot of other things, but he’s a great captain and deeply cares for his squad. Because of that, I love him.” 

“Well, if that’s the case, shouldn’t you say something?” He suggested and her face immediately went red. 

“I don’t think that’s possible.” Charlotte mumbled looking down at her lap. 

“All I can say is Yami never once took his eyes off you.” Julius mentioned with another invigorating smile. 

Later that same night, Yami found himself wandering for a few hours, already going through one pack of cigarettes until he stumbled into his favorite bar. He ordered a few beers, chugging each of them the second it was given to him. His only surprise was when Charlotte came in a few minutes after him and sat across him. There was something on her mind, otherwise she wouldn’t be here at this ungodly hour. 

For now, he just continued to watch Charlotte. He rested the side of his face in his palm as he saw Charlotte fumble with her fingers and stare down at her lap. She was beautiful. He realized that more. Her hair was thrown over her shoulders, the faint tint of red befell on her cheeks, and the shyness took him a bit by surprise. It wasn’t her looks that grabbed his attention or that icy person. It was just Charlotte being herself. 

Charlotte hadn’t noticed he was staring, let alone caught the genuine smile filtering on his lips. She was stuck in her thoughts, well more of her own fear. That all vanished when the bartender handed Yami another round of drinks and a bottle of wine to Charlotte. She didn’t give a second thought and downed half the bottle feeling the warmth invade in her insides. Yami never got the chance to stop her. Charlotte Roselie was not all right. He stifled a laugh. 

“Was that alright for you to do?” He curiously asked as he chugged his beer. 

“I’m sure we’ll find out in a minute.” The corners of her lips turned up as the blush on her cheeks darkened. 

“Are you sure you should be drinking?” 

“No, but I guess I’ll have to rely on you.” Charlotte finally looked his way. He was caught off guard by the deep yearning resting in her gaze. 

He was going to enjoy this. 

“Is that really such a good idea?” 

“You wouldn’t have much of a choice.” 

“I could just leave your drunk ass here.” Yami teased. 

“You wouldn’t.” 

“And just what exactly would your squad members think if I took you home in that state?” He raised a brow, but the smirk never went away. If he was being honest, there was no way in hell he’d take her back home. He didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of her squad. 

“Let them find out then.” Charlotte said as she tapped his nose with her finger. “They’d find out eventually.” Her gaze dropped to the table. 

Yami took a chance. 

“Find out what?”

“This and that.” She vaguely answered. She almost looked sad. He frowned. 

“You’re cut off from drinks the rest of the night.” Yami took the wine bottle. “Charlotte, what the hell are you doing?” 

He was starting to lose his patience. 

“I came here with the intention of telling you something, but I’m not sure I can say it.” She said it more to herself. 

“I can’t really know if you don’t say it.” He softly pointed out. 

“I was hoping that bottle of wine would help.” She sheepishly said and placed her cheek in her palm. The corners of his mouth lifted. “Aside from what I actually want to say, I do want to apologize to you. Nozel was right. There is a bit of tension between us.” 

“You too, huh?” He sighed. “I should be the one apologizing. I pushed it too far.” 

This time it was Yami who averted his gaze. It wasn’t that he didn’t care what he looked like in front of her. He just thought it was necessary. It was quiet between them, but it wasn’t dreadful either. It was almost a relief. As the next few minutes went by, Yami finished the last of his beer and the blush on Charlotte’s face wasn’t disappearing. She leaned her down, feeling an oncoming headache. 

It was more than that. With all those pent-up emotions bubbling inside her mind, she wasn’t put at ease and the wine wasn’t helping much. She was starting to feel dizzy and could feel the color draining from her face. It seemed to intensify the more she moved around. Yami caught on quickly. 

“Maybe you should get some air.” He suggested just as she rose to her feet and stumbled sideways. Yami caught her, letting her lean on him. 

“Thank you.” She softly said unaware his heart seemed to be beating faster. 

_ You’re really doing a number on me, Charlotte. _

Her eyes fell shut as they took a seat at a nearby bench. Charlotte was mentally exhausted and he saw that, which was why he was letting her use him as a makeshift pillow. He smiled once more as he got to enjoy another rare sight from her. If it was anyone else she’d have a damn heart attack. Maybe that was just one of the things that attracted him about her. 

Charlotte continued to cloud his judgment. He was fine with that. Right now, Yami had a better understanding of what Julius mentioned to him that night. She was peaceful, godlike. The smile only grew wider then her eyes shot open.

“You’re finally awake.” He cheekily said. She didn’t move, only clenched her fists into his shirt.

She felt pathetic. She came here with the intention of confessing, but as usual her fear won and she ran away, yet here she was practically half asleep and half-drunk leaning against Yami. He saw her discomfort and tried to get her attention, but when she looked up to see him their faces were mere inches apart. The blush on her face only deepened. 

“Are you okay?” 

She answered. 

“I never disliked you, Yami.”

“Charlotte.” He only got to say her name before she did something unexpected. 

Yami never got the chance to move away. Charlotte curled her fists into his shirt and pulled him further and pressed her soft lips against his. At first, he tried to push her away. She kept persisting and his heart won in the end. He wrapped his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss as he tasted the wine and desperate passion. 

“You’re not still drunk are you?” Yami said in a breathy voice. He was met with silence and Charlotte sleeping on his chest again. 

*

They finally resumed their last captain’s meeting. The change in their behavior and attitude didn’t go unnoticed, but Charlotte was still a bit reserved. It wasn’t from his exploits. It was more of her own inner thoughts. Charlotte, on occasion would steal a glance at Yami, face heating up slightly when he looked her way with a gentle smile. That wasn’t what concerned her. 

What concerned her the most were the missing blanks from last night. She vaguely recalled some events. All she knew was that she shouldn’t have had that bottle of wine, let alone falling asleep on his chest. She could very faintly remember the way his heart beat. She had a feeling she had done something else. Charlotte glanced once more at him hoping to find those missing pieces, but the more she focused on him, the more he tried to stay focused on the meeting. 

That’s when she realized something had happened between them. Yami was being too nice, giving a smile every time she looked at him. It was frightening. She missed the brute, but this was a nice side to see.  _ What the hell happened last night?  _ She thought. Her hands crumbled the sheet of paper in her hands as the room went silent with everyone staring at her in concern. She cleared her throat, apologizing and told them to continue. Yami couldn’t hide the smirk on his face. This was too much, especially with not knowing the details and most importantly, she couldn’t concentrate on the meeting. 

Charlotte slowly took in a breath to calm herself down, released the tension in her shoulders and caught onto a few things Julius mentioned, still, even the smallest fragments of her mind traced over to Yami. He noticed her discomfort and gently tapped her leg with his. It got her attention. She looked his way, but didn’t get another response. Whatever the reason, it comforted her. She tried to regain her focus back on Julius while he glanced in her direction. 

To him, the meeting didn’t matter anymore. When he was done speaking his point on the matter, he focused all his attention on the blonde sitting next to him. Not much was mentioned once Yami spoke his intentions and within the next few minutes, they wrapped up the smaller details and finished the meeting. 

“A word with you, please.” Charlotte said as she grabbed his arm and pulled them into a separate room. 

“You seem distracted.” He was about to light a cigarette when he remembered he needed to buy another pack. 

“I can’t seem to remember what happened last night.” Charlotte mumbled as she fidgeted with her fingers. 

“Really?” He stepped closer and leaned his face closer to her. 

“I can only remember thanking you.” He almost seemed annoyed. 

“I suggest you think really hard, Charlotte.” He steadily said inching further until she felt his hot breath against her cheek. 

Everything clicked at that moment. Charlotte felt like her head was about to explode or short circuit or both. She lost all composure and fell against the wall. Yami heaved a sigh, moving away from her just a bit. 

“Did we. . ..” Charlotte couldn’t finish her statement. He chuckled lightly.

“No, but that can be arranged.” He genuinely smiled. She finally looked at him in confusion. 

“Then what?” 

“Do I really need to explain myself?” He huffed. “It took me by surprise. You kissed me. It was intense, hot, and there was spit everywhere.” 

“I get the point, but do you need to go into detail?” Charlotte cringed as she slapped a hand on his mouth.

“You stole a kiss from me. Shouldn’t I get some revenge?” Yami smirked as placed his forehead against hers. She was flustered. “You’re not going to run away this time.” He whispered in her ear and locked the door behind her. “I’m going to finish what you started.”

“In the capital? Are you insane?” She incredulously said. The smirk only widened. 

“You’re not scared, are you?”

“No, I am completely mortified.” Charlotte almost yelled. “But I want you.” 

Yami felt the slight blush on his face and stifled a laugh, but that genuine look on his face never disappeared and that was the last thing Charlotte saw before he flipped the lights off. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kinda had this idea sitting in the back of my mind for a few days so I thought why not write it now? I figured why not write something where Yami was continuously teasing Charlotte for a long time until they got their feelings sorted out and kind of made him into a sap lmao. Hope you guys like it and enjoy it!


End file.
